


Nothing but a burden

by splice (stear)



Series: The Period [2]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Coming of Age, Fluff, Gay hedgehogs, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mobians Wear Clothes, Sexual Inexperience, Shadow is 186, Sonic is 20, Virginity, alternative universe, tribe au, very soft smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:35:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stear/pseuds/splice
Summary: As winter is approaching near, Shadow and his initiate retreat at a nearby village, waiting for the snowstorms to pass. On the way, chaos ensues, and Sonic reconsiders whether the path to adulthood is really a worth undertaking. In the process of attempting to determine him to continue the journey, the ebony hedgehog sparks novel and alien feelings in Blue's heart.
Relationships: Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: The Period [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2051922
Kudos: 24





	Nothing but a burden

They were walking south.

The pleasant autumnal air gradually faded into a chilly winter as they went their way further. Along the path, Shadow tutored Sonic about what sort of mushrooms were safe and which poisonous, whenever they would halt to collect any. On their way, they came upon many kinds of feral beasts, some smaller and some troublesome, Sonic taking the lead in the battle, and Shadow assisted whenever he deemed the situation heated up, beyond Sonic's capabilities.

As they moved, so did the winter with them, slowly but surely closing upon them. The frost bites were upsetting, the sun's rays beginning to turn into cold shadows, and sleeping in each other's arms became an obligation. What first seemed like a mere oddity, never to turn into a custom, became a regular occurrence, and neither of them thought anything of it. 

Every night, they stopped on safer grounds, set up their tent, made a fire, cooked their food, and ate. When night came, they lay down in their tent, and Shadow gently patted the spot next to him, without saying a word. Sonic would go up to him and nuzzle his head into his neck, wrapping his shivering arms around his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat, until he fell asleep.

\---

Shadow held essential to retreat to a village before the heavy snow began to fall. The nearest town, named Nykawa, was within their reach, but it was heavily forested and only accessible by a narrow trail. One morning, they set up to continue down the path, the Initiator and the initiate walking on the damp ground. In the morning sunlight, the trees looked pale, and there was an ominous silence of the dead.

"So, how is this village like?" asked Sonic, as his leather boots raked over the ground.

"It is like any other, hedgehog," responded Shadow, turning his gaze away to the sky above. "Bad news, hedgehog. I think it's going to snow tonight. We must reach it before it does." continued he.

"Where are we going to stay, anyway?" 

"Well, at an inn, of course," responded Shadow.

"And how we even going to pay? We ain't got any-"

"Keep silent, hedgehog! We're going to figure all of this once we reach the damn place. Listen, I believe there's someone's around." spoke Shadow quietly.

Sonic couldn't hear anything. He perked up his ears and looked around him. There, in the dark, he noticed a spec of something but thought his senses were playing tricks on him. They marched farther, their boots rumbling as Shadow insisted that they should be quieter. 

Shadow looked in the distance. There, at the end of the path, he observed a carriage and he realized it was ridden by a pack of bandit jackals. He quickly pulled the blue hedgehog by the arm and fled from its trails into the trees, acting swiftly not to draw attention to themselves. Sonic peeked through the frosted firs to see them marching through their path, unbothered.

"Why are we running away? I bet me and ya can take them out pretty quickly," whispered Sonic as he winked to his partner. Shadow shushed him up, raising his finger to his lips, and frowned. He glanced at their walk and waited for them to continue and pass. 

They waited in silence. 

After a while, they lost their trace into the depths of the forest. Outside of sight, outside of the mind. Sonic jumped from his hiding spot, eager to continue up the tracks, like a rabbit in heat. He continued dashing ahead, paying no attention to his Initiator, only to notice later that Shadow made himself unseen.

He realized what this meant and panicked. An enemy had spotted him in the deep silence. Sonic perked his ears, expecting them to jump out of nowhere. He spun around, attentive to all his surroundings. At the beat of the foliage, he plunged into the air, dodging the slice of a jackal's steel sword, falling on his ass. He quickly got up on all fours and then on two legs and stared at his aggressor, a jackal. The jackal standing tall before the hedgehog was lean but sturdy, his brown and white fur proper, bright azure eyes squinting at the blue hedgehog. The image of his body pulled Sonic out of his combative mindset a little. He admired his looks in the back of his mind. 

"Hehe, what do we have here! A lost pretty spikey! Got any money, boy? If you do, I might leave ya alone, this instance!" laughed the jackal, giving Sonic a complete view of his fangs. 

Sonic clenched his fangs and held onto his scimitar as his fur and spikes stretched up to his back.

_ That's it! Finally. My time to prove myself against someone my size! _

_ \--- _

Sonic threw his luggage away, next to him, in a few movements.

"Here, have at it, highwayman!" said the blue hedgehog as he drew the sword, pointing it to the jackal. The canine laughed and licked his muzzle in the process. 

Without waning and further conversation, he dashed at the jackal's arm, in a swift attempt to disarm him. The jackal parried with might, and Sonic dashed again, backward onto his feet, dodging his round of strikes. 

_ Damn it! How can someone this lean be so strong! _

Sonic dragged on a few breaths then pushed at the jackal again, only for him to vanish in a quick move behind his back. The blue hedgehog panicked and turned, successfully parrying the hit but superficially cutting his arm in a twist.

_ Damn it! Another one of these damned scratches and Shadow will intervene!  _

Sonic pulled away and hit the jackal again, not minding his scratch in the arm. Whatever he did, he couldn't afford to allow Shadow to come between them. He had to do this alone. He had to see what he was made of. He moved away, back as though to fleeing his opponent. He kneeled and took a few long breaths.

_ That's it. I'm gonna use my move! All or nothing! _

"What's wrong spikey, tired?!" shouted the jackal enraged, as he moved closer to the kneeling hedgehog. 

In a feral rush, Sonic rolled into a ball of spikes and jumped straight into the azure, sword raised in the air before his head, digging straight into the jackal. He wanted to pierce his arm so bad, remove his sword, and humiliate him with words. Instead, he found his scimitar digging straight into the jackal's chest, and Sonic's vision blurred in shock. 

_ No. No! No! No! I killed him! No wh-what the!!! _

He pulled his sword away and closed his eyes.

\---

Sonic sobbed, his arms covering his eyes, tears streaming down his muzzle. Shadow turned his gaze to the fallen jackal.

The ebony hedgehog completely ignored his initiate and quietly kneeled next to the fallen body. He lay his hands over his eyes and shut his eyelids. He pulled his hands together and mumbled a prayer, eyes closed.

"I-I'm... I'm so sorry! I only wanted-" cried Sonic, unsure towards whom. 

Shadow stood up and looked at Sonic. He ignored his senseless cries and pulled his arm towards him to look at his scratch. He tried to bandage his arm, but Sonic aggressively pulled away.

"Sonic, your hand-"

"Just... go away, Shads! I don't care! Can't you see what I've done!" shouted Sonic as he pulled his wounded arm towards his chest and embraced it. His eyes and muzzle were a mess. Shadow stared at him distantly. Sonic took a few long breaths, struggling to cease his sobbing.

"Fair enough, pick up your backpack and let's go." sighed Shadow.

Sonic did so, sluggishly moving his package on his back. He turned to Shadow and stared at him with anger, crying less violently than before.

"You! You said you'd intervene! You should have stopped me! How could- How could you let me kill a mobian!" shouted Sonic, desperate and ready to break into another cry.

"I'd come when you're life would be in peril, not someone else's, hedgehog," said Shadow nonchalantly as he raised his hands in the air.

"W-what?! Shadow, you idiot! Someone died by my hands, do you not give a crap?!" yelled Sonic, incredulous to what he was hearing.

"I do. But if I did intervene, what would you have learned? We hid not to cause a massacre, but you had to jump and be so cocky. Therefore, lesson learned, hedgehog. We need to move on before the snowstorm gets us." explained Shadow calmly.

Sonic looked straight into his eyes and then back at his arms, his teary eyes never showing so much hatred directed at them before.

\---

Sonic moved as if in a trance, unbothered by his surroundings. He didn't cry or utter a word, not even when he heard the sound of the mobian voices echoing through the forest. They arrived at a village. A few mobians were waiting outside on a few houses' porches. The path looked pretty well-traveled, and the village, well kept. Whenever Shadow passed, the villagers gave him a polite bow and a nod of their heads. Shadow didn't seem to care about that, not responding in any way.

Sonic looked down at the ground, unable to stand any other additional presence. His guilt and shame grew as he thought about how moments earlier, he took the life of another, a creature so similar to those villagers, who were currently making a ruckus, talking loudly and laughing heartily. He felt lesser than the most miserable of them all. He felt sluggish with his father's sword, growing heavy like a boulder, as did his shame as they continued. 

Sonic was drowning in it.

Shadow noticed his distress but did nothing besides stealing a few glances at the blue hedgehog from time to time. 

When they arrived in front of the inn, a wooden house with two medium-sized floors, Sonic noticed several mobians inside as he peered through the large open door. Shadow waited for him to enter first, and the blue hedgehog stood frozen at the entrance. He wished he didn't have to face other mobians. He wanted his Initiator to take the lead, but he renounced the thought. Sonic went inside, not saluting anyone, and the ebony hedgehog followed him. They arrived at a counter, a large wooden table with a couple of intricately sculpted chairs. He stared at a wall, and as through miracle, a female mobian bat appeared before his sight. 

"Well, well, what do we have here, Initiator! Long time no see, darling. It's been years!" said the bat looking through the blue hedgehog and straight at Shadow.

"Rouge," spoke Shadow, nodding. 

The bat turned her gaze at the mobian.

"And what do we have here, such a handsome hedgehog you brought! My god, Initiator, where do you find them?! What's your name, darling?" asked Rouge.

Sonic looked at her, his expression confused. He didn't expect such a compliment, and for a minute, it pulled him out of his nauseating thoughts and impressions. He felt flustered, shy, and pathetic in front of her. His eyes opened wide to scan her figure like a newborn would when seeing the light of the day for the first time.

"T-Thanks! My name's Sonic," said he, less lively than usual but curious.

"My, what a heroic name. Is that yours or just a nickname?" asked Rouge.

Sonic didn't know whether to lie or to speak the truth. He gathered that it would be impossible to trick the bat, given her attitude and appearance. He wondered how old she was. 

"N-no. Look, we wanted to spend some time a bit at this inn. I was wondering if you've got a free room, or sumthing." responded Sonic while fidgeting with his arms, not knowing what to do with his body.

"So ready to cut to the chase, darling. Do you not enjoy conversations, Sonic?" chuckled Rouge.

"N-no. No! I-like em, I'm jus' a bit tired," said Sonic, smiling faintly.

"Oh, how mysterious. It's something that you're not telling me, darling. I can read it. Did the bad big hedgehog anger you? Don't worry, dear, he's all fluff behind his scary spikes!" laughed Rouge.

Sonic froze. 

_ Why does she ask these things? Damn, I want this to be over and done! _

"Rouge. Behave," spoke Shadow, sternly. 

She looked long and sweet at Shadow, resting her elbow on the table and her muzzle in her hand.

"Alright, mister grumpy pants. I have only one room available, unfortunately. Can you two big guys cope with that?" asked Rouge.

"Y-yeah. We're used to it..." responded Sonic, absent-minded.

"My, really? You've gotten that close already?" chuckled Rouge, and no response came, the two hedgehogs staring flat at her. "Fine, then. How are you going to pay, darling?" she continued, a mischievous smile growing on her muzzle.

Sonic stared - like a deer in the headlights. He realized how foolish he had been to forget such an essential matter. Indeed, services in this world had to be paid for, and the sudden awareness struck him like a hard rock in his head, digging violently. He felt embarrassed and wanted to disappear, exit, and turn back from where he emerged moments ago.

"Darling, I was joking! I know you're an initiate, dear. You wouldn't think I'd ask money from such a handsome and young hedgehog, wouldn't you? Lighten up, dear!" she smirked and winked.

"Rouge. That is not possible, and you know that well. It is forbidden to give an initiate gifts." said Shadow.

"What? Since when?!" shouted Sonic, confused and angry, turning his fiery gaze at the ebony hedgehog, who stood unfazed. "Damn it, Shads?! How the heck am I going to pay for a room, then?! I told ya, and ya said we'll figure it out, Sonic! Yeah, sure, then you let me embarrass myself in front of-"

Rouge laughed enthusiastically, bringing the heated conversation to a halt before escalating into a fight, tearing up with an unknown malicious joy. Sonic looked at her and then around the room to see every mobian eye turned to him and staring with interest.

"Dear, dear, Sonic! Calm down, handsome, or you'll make an even bigger scene. Here's how we settle it, darling. See that chimney?" asked Rouge, pointing to the burning object. 

"Y-yeah." nodded Sonic, his expression turning interested once again.

"Get me some wood, darling, when you leave. I'm sure your sturdy hands won't have any problem with cutting down some petty trees, wouldn't they?" requested Rouge, still appearing as if she was going to burst into laughter at any moment.

"Yeah! I-I mean, sure! I'd be happy to help, Rouge!" he said, finally happy to settle everyone's conditions and sign off the deal. Rouge threw him some keys from under the counter, and Sonic almost missed them in the air. 

\---

The chamber was dim, although the windows were large. Outside, it was snowing heavily, and the houses of the village were already halfway in snow. After several minutes of taking in small breaths, Sonic realized the place reeked of the scent of old furniture. At least the chamber was much warmer than the tent, he told himself. He placed his backpack on a chair in the corner, and Shadow followed. He stood on one corner of the only bed the room was equipped with and rested his heavy head in his hands.

Shadow stood in front of him, crossing his arms. 

"Well? It's too early to sleep, hedgehog. We should go down and order some beers, or find something to do, while the storm passes." spoke Shadow, breaking the pressuring quietness.

Sonic turned his head to him and made a straight, exasperated expression.

"How are we going to pay, huh?" asked Sonic, while struggling with a completely different conflict within him.

"They drinks could be on me. Although gifts are forbidden, small ones that do not offer an advantage are excluded from this rule, hedgehog," said Sonic.

"Great. How kind of you, Shads!" yelled Sonic sarcastically, enraged and burning on the insides. 

He stood up from the bed, pulled out his scimitar sword, and turned to approach the ebony hedgehog. Shadow looked surprised as he watched beguilingly, eager to see what Sonic was thinking of doing, almost expecting a strike, given his existing temper. He imagined how grave of a mistake that would have been. Instead, Sonic lay his scimitar flat on his hands' palms and raised his arms to Shadow's muzzle, as though offering a sacrifice to an ancient god. He looked down at the wooden, noisy floor, a sheen of light reflecting from the snow outside into his unsteady eyes. 

"Here, have it, take my sword," said Sonic peacefully and convinced.

They froze locked, as the blizzard's uproar patted the wooden frames of the windows, reminding them in the back of their minds how glad they should feel that they arrived in time at the inn. Shadow gawked at its beautifully intricate patterns on Sonic's scimitar's hilt. Rhombs, squared, and stylized mobian skulls were carefully carved into its wood.

"It is very beautifully crafted, hedgehog. Why are you offering it to me?" asked Shadow.

"Cause' I don't deserve it," he spoke, turning his head back to him and smiling falteringly. 

"How come?" asked Shadow.

"It's my father's. I don't think - he'd be very proud of myself anymore." continued Sonic, stuttering, his eyes burning, striving against shedding tears. "Considering - what I've done with it..."

"Such as?" continued Shadow.

"Jus', stop it... Please. It's nothing but a burden for me!" yelled Sonic, desperately. 

Sonic stood stuck in place, and a strange fantasy came up in his mind, as though in a flash of madness. He imagined how wonderful would it be if mobians had a lever or a mechanism inside of them, that once triggered, all of the guilty burdens of their hearts would vanish away. At that moment, all he wished for was his rebelling tears away, banished somewhere in the depths of the earth, punished for the shame they gave him every time they fell free on his muzzle and fur, making him feel pathetic, vulnerable, shakey, and lesser.

"I see. You're thinking about that jackal you killed earlier," said Shadow, as he took the sword from his hands and turned to place it neatly on a near wooden table. He moved ethereally, as though discontinuous in space, before the suffering blue hedgehog and took his hands into his. He stared into his watery eyes and the faint outline of a smirk formed in the corner of his muzzle. 

"Do you like my hands, hedgehog?" continued Shadow, as he intertwined his fingers between Sonic's, gently massaging his fur on them with his thumbs. The blue hedgehog froze at his uncanny reaction, struggling to make sense of the ebony hedgehog's obscure behavior and gestures. It felt as if he was pointing towards something that didn't exist yet.

"W- Why are you asking?!" shouted Sonic, deterred and confused. 

"Do you?" insisted Shadow, his smirk growing bigger. 

"Y-yeah. They're warm, I guess... What's up with them!? What are you trying to say!?" 

"Do you have any idea how many mobians I've killed with them, hedgehog?" asked Shadow rhetorically. 

Sonic heard the words as though they were knives, physically cutting through his body. He pushed away and shivered, taking a few steps back. He fell back into his initial position, standing on the bed and placing his buzzing head into his arms as he began crying quietly.

Shadow's expression changed again, becoming warmer, somewhat pleading, a rare sight indeed to the blue hedgehog. He floated in front of Sonic, moving graciously and placing his hand on the left side of his muzzle, stroking smoothly his fur, as Sonic kept facing the ground and sobbing.

"Sonic... man, you're a sensitive hedgehog. You think too much-" whispered Shadow.

"Jus' leave alone! You understand nuffin', Shads! Sides' I bet ya love seeing me like this!" kept shouting the blue hedgehog, his crying becoming louder with each shout.

"Not at all, friend... Not at all, I promise." Shadow continued whispering. He gently raised the blue hedgehog's muzzle with his stroking hand, and Sonic didn't oppose. He turned his sight towards the ebony hedgehog and frowned. 

"Do you, perhaps, have mobians that you love? That you wish to protect?" continued Shadow.

"I do, but that doesn't justify killing others!" shouted Sonic.

"I beg to differ, hedgehog. I've done horrible things in my past, and I regret none of those actions. I have never hurt anyone for sheer pleasure and have never basked in someone's pain. I will bet with you that everyone at this inn has taken the life of another, at some point, either to protect themselves or a loved one. That is how this world works, hedgehog. Living in it is many times unpleasant." explained Shadow, fixed into his eyes, still rubbing the chin of his muzzle slowly.

"I don't care! If that's what involves being an adult or, at least from your point of view, then I don't want to be one! I give up! I'll return from where I came from, and-" 

"Sonic, please don't do this... I understand how you feel, but think about your village and your parents. I'm certain there's nothing you won't give to protect them. This journey isn't a set of trials. It merely represents how life is outside of your small bubble. Running from it is useless. I promise I see how burdening this whole affair is for you, but I promise it will get better." continued Shadow, moving his hand from the hedgehog's jaw into the back of his head, playing casually with his spikes. 

A bizarre sentiment of tranquility overwhelmed Sonic. He didn't know how Shadow managed to root such a sense into him every time he spoke so affectionately to him. He thought that, in an abstract sense, it wasn't just the intimate way he acted towards him. Whenever he felt like running away from the world, he spoke in such strangely worded pleadings, and Sonic realized that there was more than that, which made him turn around, back at life. It was, he considered, a piece of homely warmth, a familiar comfort that entered their relationship, untold how.

"I don't know what to say, Shads," spoke Sonic, finally.

"Don't say anything, then. Just don't make such a rash decision so suddenly..." said Shadow, his loud blunt words shifting into whispers as he finished. He pulled out his hands from the blue hedgehog spikes and fur and stared at him.

"Fine..." he responded.

"Are you coming down or not?"

"Fine..."

Shadow turned to face the door, and Sonic got up from the bed and immediately jumped at his back, struck with a completely novel and alien desire, obstinate and raw. He gripped his arms tightly and turned him towards him. Shadow had his eyes open in shock as he felt Sonic's warm licks on his muzzle and his painful desperate clasps all around his arms. When he came to his senses and understood the state of affairs, he closed his eyes and opened his muzzle, and Sonic intertwined it with his own, blinded by unsatiated feral desire. 

He relaxed in the feeling as the ebony hedgehog pushed his whole body into his and grabbed Sonic's back sturdily. He scanned the blue hedgehog's mouth with his tongue as a moan escaped Sonic's throat, guttural, fierce and untamed, utterly unlike his natural voice. He found his partner's tongue, and played with it, focusing on licking its tip, then its sides, as Sonic taunted, struggling as well to get deep into his mouth, as well.

Sonic felt possessed, frightened to the bones, and feverish, his mind utterly clouded, thoughts melting together, one into another, transforming into a single turbulent and confusing clew. He felt horrible as if afflicted by a disease and felt jabs of painful pleasure hit him as he noticed Shadow's hands reach beneath his shirt, sending shocks as he massaged the trembling fur on his chest and stomach. He realized how his friend's bare hands were moving lower on his body, towards the source of this madness, and soon enough, he felt those hands grip gently around the skin of his - 

Sonic vigorously pulled his friend away with both of his arms by stubbornly pushing against the hedgehog's chest, and Shadow immediately backed off, raising his palms at the level of his shoulders, signifying that he surrendered any more movement or attempt. 

The blue hedgehog looked like a mess, panting and shivering, staring at his friend with bewilderment and fear as though he had never seen another hedgehog again. Shadow was as poised as ever, smirking and smiling.

_ What the heck have I done, now?! What the heck was that?! _

"Heh, satisfied with that little, hedgy? There's no need to continue, then?" asked Shadow while smirking widely. No response came, Sonic still in a state of utter shock. Upon seeing this, Shadow's smirk turned into a frown of concern. "Why are you looking at me like that, Sonic? You started this hot mess."

"I... Shads! I'm - I'm sorry! I don't know what happened to my messed-up head! I have no idea! I don't know how to explain what I've done!" gulped Sonic.

"You- you don't?"

"No... Sorry about that! Forgive me! I felt weird suddenly and- Damn, that was like a trip to god knows where! Forgive me, please!" shouted Sonic, his voice shaking.

"Oh, I suppose you haven't been around many mobians around your age or at least looking like your age. I thought..." Shadow stared at Sonic apprehensively. For the first time, the blue hedgehog caught a glimpse of upsetting guilt in his friend's eyes. "Did I hurt you!? I'm so sorry, I thought you intended this. I didn't know you were acting on pure impulse, alone."

"No! You didn't hurt me, or something, Shads! Initially, I wanted to hug you, like give you a warm 'thank you, buddy' kinda hug, but then... something erupted. It felt awesome and horrible at the same time! I was so scared of what might happen!" continued Sonic.

Shadow stared deadpan at him.

"Sonic, please don't do that to other mobians in the future, without asking for permission first. I'm merely speaking for your safety as others may not be as accepting as I am. Regardless, I'm not offended, at all, about this. I apologize, as well, as I thought it was something you wanted consciously and should have considered more thoroughly the possibility that you merely didn't know what you were getting yourself into. Forgive me, hedgehog, as I've acted irresponsibly." said Shadow, as he bowed down.

Sonic relaxed a bit more, his panting quieting down. He was more perplexed than anything. He felt he acted immorally but didn't know exactly what. He knew he pulled Shadow into an issue that was causing him distress, an unknown boundary. He experienced a forbidden act with his friend, followed by a sensation so divine and devilish, although it seemed that Shadow wasn't upset that he did, but that he didn't know what it was.

"Want what?" asked Sonic curiously, eyes wide open to know more.

"What?"

"You said... You thought I wanted something. What do you mean?"

Shadow swallowed. Sonic looked at him anxiously.

"I thought you wanted to have sex with me," he responded, bracing for the reaction.

"Shadow?! That's how sex feels?! I thought- I thought it's something mobians do for- For fun?! As a joke, I mean?! Cause it's funny?! I didn't know it felt like that!" shouted Sonic.

"Shush, hedgehog! Quieter, these walls are thin!"

Sonic stared in an empty space.

"I... I mean, we could try! I know what it is, but I didn't know it felt so good. How did I not make the connection? Weird." said Sonic, chuckling, his spirits back on track.

"Sonic, let's just go downstairs, drink, eat something, and discuss this another time. Please."

\---

The inn downstairs had become quiet. They spoke about their impressions of the village, about Sonic's parents, while downing some beer. From time to time, Rouge came to make harmless fun of them. 

Sonic felt drowsy, perhaps due to the beer or maybe due to the events of the day. He remembered that he and Shadow had to share a bed tonight and wondered if what occurred hours later would make their interactions unbearably awkward. When thinking about it, the images in his mind made him feel a pang of desire, once again.

_ Why do I have these desires towards him? _

He wondered if acting about them would ruin the balance of their relationship.

"What got you so deep in thought, darling?" asked Rouge.

Sonic looked suspiciously at her.

"N-nothing! I had a full day today, Rouge!" spoke Sonic, far more relaxed than earlier.

"You look like it, darling. Your fur shows it. Looks like ebony is giving you a rough time."

"I guess you could say..." said Sonic, yawning.

Soon, they returned to their rooms and settled in the bed, back to back. The only sound in the room was of their breaths and the storm outside. Sonic listened closely into it and felt the room warmer, by contrast.

"Good thing it didn't catch us in the forest, heh?" said Sonic, drowsy, Shadow almost unable to make up the words.

"Yes. Good thing."

"Hey, are you mad at me?" asked Sonic. 

"No. Why would I be, hedgehog?"

"Cause of earlier..."

"I think it's best not to dwell on such things. I am not angry with you. I've told you before that I didn't mind it."

"Can I hug you, then?"

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Shadow turned around to Sonic, and stared into the darkness, his eyes shining through the faint light reflected from the moon, from the snow, and through the glass. "Come here, hedgehog..." he whispered. Sonic turned around, and he could barely make out his figure. He placed one arm around the ebony hedgehog's shoulder and rested his head near his chest, testing the waters, bit by bit.

"You're good?"

"Yep. Comfortable, you?"

"I'm good. Tell me if you need anything, and go to sleep..."

"Night..." replied Sonic, and soon enough, his stretched whisper turned into heavy breaths and soft snorting, the sweet and painful mood of homely comfort lulling him into slumber. 

Shadow didn't mind the sounds Sonic made when he slept.


End file.
